Episode 110. The Abyss of Laxus
Dawn broke.
Laxus sipped the red wine.
It tasted pungent, like someone's blood.
Lxus chuckled and glanced at the wine filling his glass.
Last night, the city had been ablaze.
Duke Cloud had faithfully kept his promise to Laxus.
He had aimed his sword at Kassius.
If he couldn't defeat him today, tomorrow.
And if he couldn't defeat him tomorrow, the day after.
As always, Duke Cloud would keep his promise.
Laxus licked his tongue at the scent of wine lingering in his mouth.
A strange lust and hatred flashed in his violet eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
[If you're too greedy, you'll lose everything.]
"Isn't this what you wanted? Did you think I'd just hand everything over to Renisha? No! I'm going to defeat Renisha once again and secure this position."
Laxus shouted in a frantic voice.
"I'm going to show Renisha how heavy this position is! At first, I thought you coveted it,"
Laxus said, gritting his teeth.
However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized something was strange.
Even with the destruction of Lottera, their will remained unbroken.
A group that loses its head tends to scatter, but if they gather in one place and stick together, it means their true head is somewhere else.
Brixton? Haylin?
No. Those pyramids don't dream big.
Then, what's left is Renisha.
Renisha Lottera. The woman who was his wife.
"You were planning to put Renisha in this position, right?"
The ghost fell silent.
“You knew I couldn’t kill Renisha. That’s why you left for the battlefield without a care, leaving Renisha here!”
Laxus paced the room.
A hazy light seeped into the room.
Suddenly, Laxus stopped and glared at the ghost.
The Duke of Lottera had a calm expression, along with a spirit that was unusual for a ghost.
[I left all the decisions to Your Majesty.]
“Even with a closed mouth, you speak well.”
[It wasn’t me who failed to defeat Renisha, but Your Majesty. What did you do for eight years? While Renisha was building connections with envoys from various countries and accumulating honor, what did Your Majesty do?]
Laxus’s lips trembled.
[You were so self-pitying that you couldn’t see ahead. So, Your Majesty brought this all on yourself. You had countless opportunities.]
Laxus widened his eyes.
Anger surged up from his heart.
He couldn't admit it. That all of this was his karma.
No, he didn't want to admit it.
Sometimes it's much easier to blame others for everything.
Laxus had lived his whole life like that, and now he had absolutely no will to change his life.
"No. You knew this would happen from the beginning, and you made Renisha the Emperor."
[No way. I wanted Your Majesty to embrace that child.]
"No! You wanted Renisha to be the Emperor too!!"
[Then why don't you just kill her now? Cut open her chest and pull out her heart. It will all be over.]
Laxus trembled.
The ghost was right. He didn't know if the ghost was a hallucination brought on by the drugs and alcohol he hadn't consumed in a long time, or if it truly existed.
But Laxus knew in his head that to end all this, he had to kill Renisha.
Renisha had always been at the center of the rebellion.
A radiant girl with golden hair and pink eyes.
His beloved woman, as radiant as the twinkling sun.
The one woman he had never stopped loving since he'd taken her into his heart.
Laxus stumbled.
A headache he'd forgotten about assaulted him.
Perhaps he'd known it all along.
Seeing Renisha made his head ache.
He feared that the brilliance that illuminated the world would one day surpass Laxus.
People were drawn to Renisha's light, willingly kissing and worshipping her toes.
Laxus dropped the glass in his hand.
The glass shattered with a crack, digging into his toes.
A deep pain spread through Laxus's body.
Laxus was simultaneously jealous and fearful of Renisha.
Even though he loved her unwaveringly, he feared that she would one day seek his place.
That fear became a headache, driving Laxus to madness.
He couldn't bear Renisha without going mad.
He couldn't overcome her brilliance without closing his eyes and turning his back.
So Laxus chose the path of self-destruction.
He resented Lottera and plunged himself into hell.
He blamed Lottera for everything.
He believed that if Lottera fell, Renisha would also break the fate within her.
But Renisha didn't break down there.
Even after being miserably banished to Hiloshine, she stood up.
Hiloshine, having achieved remarkable growth in a short period of time, was lauded by all nations.
Laxus covered his eyes with his hand.
It was clear that the three serpent gods were protecting Renisha.
"Ah..."
Laxus was nothing more than a puppet, guarding this position until Renisha grew up.
The three serpent gods had appointed him as Renisha's proxy, using him as a shield.
Now that his usefulness has outlived him, they intend to expel Laxus and place Renisha at the forefront of this millennium empire.
Hientri, declining.
With a new wave, you will once again usher in a glorious millennium of history!
The sound of bells rang in his ears.
"Hahahaha..."
Laxus burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"
He felt the ground beneath his feet crumble.
What Laxus had been standing on was nothing more than a sand altar.
He held on, holding on alone, forcibly, to what was slipping away.
His empire, which had been nothing more than an illusion.
Laxus's lips trembled.
Blood spread down the sides of Laxus, who was sprawled on the floor.
Laxus stared out the window with flickering eyes.
If he must die, he will leave the deepest impression on Renisha.
He will carve a wound in her heart and dig deeper into it so she will never forget. So that the wound will never heal, so that Renisha will think of him again and again!
“I will take the most. I will slaughter everything Renisha holds dear.”
So that only emptiness and loneliness will accumulate in Renisha’s heart.
What will remain between them will not be Kassius, but Laxus.
“The final victor is me.”
The ghost gradually blurred and disappeared completely.
Laxus glared at the red sun.
His death was drawing as close as that sun.
He could feel it.
“Your Majesty! Renisha is gone! The maid is gone too!”
It was like the sound of a death knell.
Laxus gripped his sword.
He would be with Renisha until the very end.
A strange light seeped into Laxus’s violet eyes.
Kassius wrapped a cloth around his arm.
Kassius, who had tied the cloth with his teeth, lifted his head.
The red sun was rising.
The cruel night had passed.
Kassius had finally survived and had prevented the Emperor's knights from falling beyond the mansion.
Kassius sat up, exhausted.
"Your Excellency. Is this the end?"
The red scales on Kassius's cheeks rustled.
The knight, whose eyes met Kassius's, flinched and stepped back. The vertically compressed eyes were inhuman.
"...This cannot be the end."
The voice seemed to sink into an abyss.
"Your Excellency. The appearance..."
Dawn broke.
Laxus sipped the red wine.
It tasted pungent, like someone's blood.
Lxus chuckled and glanced at the wine filling his glass.
Last night, the city had been ablaze.
Duke Cloud had faithfully kept his promise to Laxus.
He had aimed his sword at Kassius.
If he couldn't defeat him today, tomorrow.
And if he couldn't defeat him tomorrow, the day after.
As always, Duke Cloud would keep his promise.
Laxus licked his tongue at the scent of wine lingering in his mouth.
A strange lust and hatred flashed in his violet eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
[If you're too greedy, you'll lose everything.]
"Isn't this what you wanted? Did you think I'd just hand everything over to Renisha? No! I'm going to defeat Renisha once again and secure this position."
Laxus shouted in a frantic voice.
"I'm going to show Renisha how heavy this position is! At first, I thought you coveted it,"
Laxus said, gritting his teeth.
However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized something was strange.
Even with the destruction of Lottera, their will remained unbroken.
A group that loses its head tends to scatter, but if they gather in one place and stick together, it means their true head is somewhere else.
Brixton? Haylin?
No. Those pyramids don't dream big.
Then, what's left is Renisha.
Renisha Lottera. The woman who was his wife.
"You were planning to put Renisha in this position, right?"
The ghost fell silent.
“You knew I couldn’t kill Renisha. That’s why you left for the battlefield without a care, leaving Renisha here!”
Laxus paced the room.
A hazy light seeped into the room.
Suddenly, Laxus stopped and glared at the ghost.
The Duke of Lottera had a calm expression, along with a spirit that was unusual for a ghost.
[I left all the decisions to Your Majesty.]
“Even with a closed mouth, you speak well.”
[It wasn’t me who failed to defeat Renisha, but Your Majesty. What did you do for eight years? While Renisha was building connections with envoys from various countries and accumulating honor, what did Your Majesty do?]
Laxus’s lips trembled.
[You were so self-pitying that you couldn’t see ahead. So, Your Majesty brought this all on yourself. You had countless opportunities.]
Laxus widened his eyes.
Anger surged up from his heart.
He couldn't admit it. That all of this was his karma.
No, he didn't want to admit it.
Sometimes it's much easier to blame others for everything.
Laxus had lived his whole life like that, and now he had absolutely no will to change his life.
"No. You knew this would happen from the beginning, and you made Renisha the Emperor."
[No way. I wanted Your Majesty to embrace that child.]
"No! You wanted Renisha to be the Emperor too!!"
[Then why don't you just kill her now? Cut open her chest and pull out her heart. It will all be over.]
Laxus trembled.
The ghost was right. He didn't know if the ghost was a hallucination brought on by the drugs and alcohol he hadn't consumed in a long time, or if it truly existed.
But Laxus knew in his head that to end all this, he had to kill Renisha.
Renisha had always been at the center of the rebellion.
A radiant girl with golden hair and pink eyes.
His beloved woman, as radiant as the twinkling sun.
The one woman he had never stopped loving since he'd taken her into his heart.
Laxus stumbled.
A headache he'd forgotten about assaulted him.
Perhaps he'd known it all along.
Seeing Renisha made his head ache.
He feared that the brilliance that illuminated the world would one day surpass Laxus.
People were drawn to Renisha's light, willingly kissing and worshipping her toes.
Laxus dropped the glass in his hand.
The glass shattered with a crack, digging into his toes.
A deep pain spread through Laxus's body.
Laxus was simultaneously jealous and fearful of Renisha.
Even though he loved her unwaveringly, he feared that she would one day seek his place.
That fear became a headache, driving Laxus to madness.
He couldn't bear Renisha without going mad.
He couldn't overcome her brilliance without closing his eyes and turning his back.
So Laxus chose the path of self-destruction.
He resented Lottera and plunged himself into hell.
He blamed Lottera for everything.
He believed that if Lottera fell, Renisha would also break the fate within her.
But Renisha didn't break down there.
Even after being miserably banished to Hiloshine, she stood up.
Hiloshine, having achieved remarkable growth in a short period of time, was lauded by all nations.
Laxus covered his eyes with his hand.
It was clear that the three serpent gods were protecting Renisha.
"Ah..."
Laxus was nothing more than a puppet, guarding this position until Renisha grew up.
The three serpent gods had appointed him as Renisha's proxy, using him as a shield.
Now that his usefulness has outlived him, they intend to expel Laxus and place Renisha at the forefront of this millennium empire.
Hientri, declining.
With a new wave, you will once again usher in a glorious millennium of history!
The sound of bells rang in his ears.
"Hahahaha..."
Laxus burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"
He felt the ground beneath his feet crumble.
What Laxus had been standing on was nothing more than a sand altar.
He held on, holding on alone, forcibly, to what was slipping away.
His empire, which had been nothing more than an illusion.
Laxus's lips trembled.
Blood spread down the sides of Laxus, who was sprawled on the floor.
Laxus stared out the window with flickering eyes.
If he must die, he will leave the deepest impression on Renisha.
He will carve a wound in her heart and dig deeper into it so she will never forget. So that the wound will never heal, so that Renisha will think of him again and again!
“I will take the most. I will slaughter everything Renisha holds dear.”
So that only emptiness and loneliness will accumulate in Renisha’s heart.
What will remain between them will not be Kassius, but Laxus.
“The final victor is me.”
The ghost gradually blurred and disappeared completely.
Laxus glared at the red sun.
His death was drawing as close as that sun.
He could feel it.
“Your Majesty! Renisha is gone! The maid is gone too!”
It was like the sound of a death knell.
Laxus gripped his sword.
He would be with Renisha until the very end.
A strange light seeped into Laxus’s violet eyes.
***
Kassius wrapped a cloth around his arm.
Kassius, who had tied the cloth with his teeth, lifted his head.
The red sun was rising.
The cruel night had passed.
Kassius had finally survived and had prevented the Emperor's knights from falling beyond the mansion.
Kassius sat up, exhausted.
"Your Excellency. Is this the end?"
The red scales on Kassius's cheeks rustled.
The knight, whose eyes met Kassius's, flinched and stepped back. The vertically compressed eyes were inhuman.
"...This cannot be the end."
The voice seemed to sink into an abyss.
"Your Excellency. The appearance..."
Kassius ran a hand through his hair.
"Does it look like a monster?"
"Oh, no..."
"This is the true nature of a hero. Slashing people, slashing them again. How could a demon who survived and returned like that be human?"
"Your Excellency..."
The knight trailed off.
Kassius was the hero who had protected them.
He led the absurd war to victory and captured the Chorpa Plains.
Despite knowing all this, fear gripped him.
Kassius's sword, stained red with blood, gleamed with a gleam.
It seemed ready to lunge at him at any moment.
The red aura surrounding the sword flickered.
The knight involuntarily stepped back.
"That's not it, that's not it..."
"Not really."
Kassius smiled bitterly.
There was a reason he'd tried so hard to hide this appearance.
Wrapped in the skin of a red snake, Kassius looked more like a monster than a human.
Who would praise him as a hero upon seeing this?
"The second wave will arrive soon. Has Duke Cloud escaped?"
"Yes. We haven't found his body."
The knight said in a timid voice.
Kassius narrowed his eyes.
He couldn't wield the power of a god infinitely.
The more he used it, the more it ate away at him.
'How long can I hold out?'
They wanted Kassius's head.
The longer the war dragged on, the clearer it became.
Whom did their swords aim for?
Laxus wanted to kill Kassius. Kassius gritted his teeth.
If he gave up here, everything might be over.
But what about those left behind?
Would Laxus leave them alone?
And...
'You must come for me.'
What about Renisha?
That woman who smiled brightly at Kassius?
What about that woman who would crumble only in front of Kassius?
Kassius barely swallowed the stinging blood that surged up in his throat. He felt the power of the red snake that had been provoking him slowly subside.
“Hu...… Gather the wounded and prepare the battle lines. Gather as much as you can...”
“Your Excellency!!”
The knight called to him in a rasping voice.
The army was advancing along the rising horizon.
Kassius let out a sigh of relief.
“...Get in line.”
He won’t give them a moment to rest. That damned Laxus.
Kassius gripped his sword again.
His arm felt heavy, as if it wasn’t his own, but he couldn’t give up.
Kassius couldn’t leave Renisha behind.
Those who had been far away gradually drew closer.
Their faces, once hidden by the veil of sunlight, slowly emerged.
“...Duke Lottera.”
At this moment, the voice was more than welcome.
Kassius relaxed his body. Then he slowly lowered his sword.
“Prince Meteo...”
“You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?”
Meteo smiled brightly and dismounted.
“Reinforcements from Hiloshine. Sent by Lady Haylin.”
A helping hand had arrived at the Lottera mansion.
The lonely fight that everyone had turned away from had found allies.
The number of knights Meteo had brought with him wasn’t large.
However,
“They are the knights of Hiloshine.”
The implication was clear.
The black serpent’s energy began to take root on the red earth.
"Does it look like a monster?"
"Oh, no..."
"This is the true nature of a hero. Slashing people, slashing them again. How could a demon who survived and returned like that be human?"
"Your Excellency..."
The knight trailed off.
Kassius was the hero who had protected them.
He led the absurd war to victory and captured the Chorpa Plains.
Despite knowing all this, fear gripped him.
Kassius's sword, stained red with blood, gleamed with a gleam.
It seemed ready to lunge at him at any moment.
The red aura surrounding the sword flickered.
The knight involuntarily stepped back.
"That's not it, that's not it..."
"Not really."
Kassius smiled bitterly.
There was a reason he'd tried so hard to hide this appearance.
Wrapped in the skin of a red snake, Kassius looked more like a monster than a human.
Who would praise him as a hero upon seeing this?
"The second wave will arrive soon. Has Duke Cloud escaped?"
"Yes. We haven't found his body."
The knight said in a timid voice.
Kassius narrowed his eyes.
He couldn't wield the power of a god infinitely.
The more he used it, the more it ate away at him.
'How long can I hold out?'
They wanted Kassius's head.
The longer the war dragged on, the clearer it became.
Whom did their swords aim for?
Laxus wanted to kill Kassius. Kassius gritted his teeth.
If he gave up here, everything might be over.
But what about those left behind?
Would Laxus leave them alone?
And...
'You must come for me.'
What about Renisha?
That woman who smiled brightly at Kassius?
What about that woman who would crumble only in front of Kassius?
Kassius barely swallowed the stinging blood that surged up in his throat. He felt the power of the red snake that had been provoking him slowly subside.
“Hu...… Gather the wounded and prepare the battle lines. Gather as much as you can...”
“Your Excellency!!”
The knight called to him in a rasping voice.
The army was advancing along the rising horizon.
Kassius let out a sigh of relief.
“...Get in line.”
He won’t give them a moment to rest. That damned Laxus.
Kassius gripped his sword again.
His arm felt heavy, as if it wasn’t his own, but he couldn’t give up.
Kassius couldn’t leave Renisha behind.
Those who had been far away gradually drew closer.
Their faces, once hidden by the veil of sunlight, slowly emerged.
“...Duke Lottera.”
At this moment, the voice was more than welcome.
Kassius relaxed his body. Then he slowly lowered his sword.
“Prince Meteo...”
“You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?”
Meteo smiled brightly and dismounted.
“Reinforcements from Hiloshine. Sent by Lady Haylin.”
A helping hand had arrived at the Lottera mansion.
The lonely fight that everyone had turned away from had found allies.
The number of knights Meteo had brought with him wasn’t large.
However,
“They are the knights of Hiloshine.”
The implication was clear.
The black serpent’s energy began to take root on the red earth.
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